Cylindrical ampoule with injection needle



United States Patent CYLINDRICAL ANIPOULE WITH INJECTION NEEDLE Theo Metten, Leverkusen, Germany, assignor to Farbenfabriken Bayer Aktiengesellschaft, Leverkusen, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed June '18, 1957, Ser. No. 666,399

Claims priority, application Germany June 25, 1956 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-218) This invention relates to a cylindrical ampoule with an injection needle, in which the injection needle, through which the injection liquid is expelled by means of a closure plug serving as a piston, is fitted at its end adjustment to the ampoule with a flange-like attachment fixed to the ampoule opening formed with a beaded lip by means of a cap which can be flanged over. The needle is protected by a small glass tube, which is fitted over a rubber sleeve drawn on to the olive-shaped or fluted part of the needle stem.

Such a cylindrical ampoule must be clamped in an ampoule holder, which retains the ampoule in the correct position by spring pressure. The sterile closure of the needle can be damaged by an unauthorized person removing the small tube and replacing this tube, without it being possible to detect the damage.

It has now been found that this disadvantage is obviated if, in accordance with the invention, a sheath of elastic material serving as a closure for the needle is fixed to the flange-like end of the injection needle by means of a flanged cap. In this way, an original closure for the needle is obtained. One withdrawal of the sheath, the flange-like edge of the latter, which is made thinner by the elongation, is pulled from under the flanged cap and cannot be returned to its original position, so that unauthorised opening and the lack of sterility thereby produced can be immediately detected.

The flanged cap is preferably provided with an external thread on to which there can be screwed a holder for injection purposes and a hollow cylindrical plunger with a flange, the said holder, consisting for example of a plastic material, accommodating the cylindrical ampoule and the plunger surrounding the needle for protection purposes. The plunger serving to protect the needle is unscrewed from the flange cap when the instrument is to be used and is screwed by means of its unflanged end, which is formed with a threaded bore, on to the threaded nipple of the piston and thus serves at the same time as a piston rod.

In order to avoid the injection liquid entering the needle and thus clogging the needle due to evaporation, the needle is provided with a mandrin which is bent over at the point of the needle. When the covering sheath of the needle is withdrawn, the mandrin is simultaneously extracted therewith, 'Since the bent-over point of the mandrin hooks itself on to the inner bead of the sheath.

One embodiment of the invention is shown diagrammatically and by way of example in the accompanying drawing.

Patented Sept. 27, 1960 In the drawing, numeral 1 represents a plastic ampoule holder into which cylindrical ampoule 2 is screwed. In the cylindrical ampoule 2 there is movably arranged a closure plug 3 serving as a piston, which is provided with a threaded nipple 3a. A plug 6 is inserted in the opening of the ampoule 2 which is provided with a beaded lip 15. The injection needle 9 is put through plug 6. The needle 9 is provided with an attachment 5 having a disc-like flange 13. The needle 9 is surrounded by a covering sheath 8 having a flange-like rim 14. The flange 13 of the needle 9 and the flange 14 of the covering sheath 8 (the diameter of flange 14 is smaller than that of flange 13) are secured to the ampoule neck by means of the flange cap 4 having an external thread 11. The lower skirt-like part of the cap 4 is flanged over around the beaded lip 15. The ampoule holder 1 and a hollow cylindrical needle cover or plunger 7, which is provided with flange 12 and has at its upper end a threaded bore 3b, are screwed 0n the thread 11. When the instrument is to be used, the plunger 7 is screwed oil? from the thread 11 of the flange'cap 4 and screwed on the nipple 3a of the closure plug 3 of ampoule 2 by means of the thread 312. The covering sheath 8 is then withdrawn from the flange cap 4 by applying relatively strong force. 0n withdrawalv of the sheath 8 the bent-over point of the mandrin 10 hooks itself on to the bead 16 of the sheath 8 and the mandrin is extracted from the needle 9. The instrument is now ready for injection.

I claim: a

1. An ampoule-injection needle syringe unit comprising an ampoule sealed at the proximal end by a slidable closure plug serving as a plunger having a threaded nipple at its exposed end, the distal end of the ampoule being narrowed to a small flanged neck opening, a needle rigidly mounted in a plug inserted in the distal opening of the ampoule and projecting from each end of the same, said needle having a disc like flange at its almost proximal end for contacting the distal end of said plug, an elastic tubular sheath surrounding the needle, the proximal end of the sheath having a flange like rim, which is of smaller diameter than that of the needle flange, a flange cap surrounding the needle for engaging the flanged opening of the ampoule and securing thereby to the ampoule neck the flanges of the said needle and sheath, a needle cover having an open end engaging the flange cap, the shank of which has an external diameter less than the internal diameter of the ampoule and being provided with a thread at its distal end adapted to mesh with the threaded connection of the slidable plug of the ampoule, whereby'the cover'may serve as a push rod when the unit is used for injection.

2. An ampoule-injection needle springe unit according 7 to claim 1, wherein the needle is provided with a mandrin which is bent-over at the point of the needle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

